KIMANIS POLLS | Both sides of the political divide have made the Temporary Sabah Pass (PSS) their primary point of contention in the runup to the Kimanis by-election.
Warisan has defended itself by saying it was originally a BN proposal and Sabah BN has made it the main target of their attacks on Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal's governance.
The latest to join the PSS fray is former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein (photo).
The former defence minister warned that the issuance of the PSS could jeopardise national and state security if it was not implemented properly.
"A lot has been said about it, many had talked about it, but many others did not notice that security threat was something we went through during the Lahad Datu incursion in 2013," said Hishammuddin while on the campaign trail for BN candidate Mohamad Alamin in Kampung Sinar Baru.
"I worry that if a decision is made without a detailed study, the PSS will have a very, very dangerous impact on Sabah."
The PSS is a new document that the Immigration Department will issue to migrants, replacing three existing documents, namely IMM13, Burung-burung cards and census certificates.
This follows a decision made by the Committee on the Management of Foreign Nationals on Sept 6, last year, and announced by Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on the same day.
"If there were no proper screening or well-planned structure in place, we might only realise the effects when it is too late," Hishammuddin added.
The Home Ministry recently explained that the PSS will not lead to migrants or any other foreigners attaining citizenship, nor will it guarantee the holder to be granted a Temporary Resident status.
The Lahad Datu incursion was sparked when militants, claiming to represent a defunct Sulu sultanate, arrived by boats from Tawi-Tawi, Southern Philippines, and set-up base in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu.
At the end of the standoff, 56 six militants were killed, together with six civilians and 10 Malaysian security forces personnel.
The PSS blame game
Hishammuddin also rebuked allegations that the PSS was approved during BN rule, saying instead that Pakatan Harapan and Warisan leaders were merely passing the blame to the coalition.
"If the PSS was started by BN, it would have had a negative impact and opposed by Sabahans at the time. And (if) it were true, why raise the issue again now?
"Whenever things don’t go their way, they blame us," said the Sembrong MP.
Shafie yesterday said Muhyiddin will be addressing the PSS issue during his upcoming visit to Kimanis.
The chief minister also said Muhyiddin will be revealing documents to prove that the PSS was introduced by BN.
Hishammuddin, however, rubbished Shafie's remarks and claimed that it would do little to quell unhappiness over the issue.
"Just by bringing Muhyiddin to say that it (PSS) was started by BN, will that persuade the people in Kimanis and Sabah?
"No, because this is not a small matter," he said.
Why Sabah needs new immigration document?
Holders of IMM13 are Filipino refugees who fled to Sabah in the 1970s during the escalation of the separatist violence in the Mindanao region which saw many fleeing the Marcos regime.
Economic migrants, on the other hand, were given Burung-burung cards in the 1980s. Others were given Federal Special Task Force Banci (census) cards in the 1990s.
IMM13 is issued by the Immigration Department, while the Burung-burung cards are issued by the Chief Minister's Department and the census certificates by the National Security Council.
Currently, there are 51,645 IMM13 holders; 47,518 census certificate holders and 39,892 Burung-burung holders.
The government will revoke these documents once the PSS is issued, streamlining the process and allowing for better documentation of migrants in the state.
It is a government initiative intended to tackle the problem of document forgery in Sabah.
The PSS will come in the form of a card with biometric security features, including fingerprint and a photograph of its holder, which is absent in the three documents.
It can be renewed every three years with a fee of RM120. - Mkini
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